What
Is Product Photography?

Well, product photography utilizes certain techniques to showcase the products in a striking way to entice potential shoppers to make a purchase.

It is an important part of both offline and online advertising – be it catalogues, magazine ads, brochures, online ads, company websites, or billboards, specifically while selling products directly to the consumers.

Now, let’s further understand as to why pictures
are so important while selling online.

How
Does Photography Increases Conversion Rates?

We are in the era of visual information, a time
where visual data plays a significant role in each stage of life.

When you perceive at how much amount of data has been expanded, it is quite alarming. Say, for instance, Google receives over 2 million searches per minute. Now, on a bigger scale, human beings generate about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. (Source)

From a human’s perspective, visualization works
because he or she responds to it and processes the visual data much better than
other data types.

You will be fascinated in reading the fact that a human brain can process pictures 60,000 times quicker than text. (Source)

About 90% of the information communicated to a
brain is through visuals. Every human being is a visual creature. This makes it
great for big to implement creative solutions to leverage data visualization
and unveil their true prospective to meet the business goals.

Talking about online shoppers, they are first attracted to the visual elements and not the written copy.

Photos play an important role in a customer’s decision-making process, eventually determining the conversion as well as retention rates.

Now, the product’s photo quality reflects the
brand image, building the first impression. This is a great opportunity for
sellers. Every image should be appealing, polished, and professional enough to
evoke maximum engagement.

The right photography of a product can call for
greater conversions. Wonder how?

Well, here are a few aspects to note.

Images
Serve As A Key Element To Branding

When it comes to “branding,” product photography
is one of the best ways to strengthen it. It also ties it across a strong web
presence. It is vital to your product’s photography consistent in terms of
style. This makes sure that your brand has its digital persona.

Quality
Images Can Attract People To Buy

Undeniably, many product listings on Amazon have low quality images and the probability of those listings generating sales is much low than the ones with better quality pictures. Now, the whole idea of taking pictures perfectly is that you do not have to explain it in words.

Amazon
Product Photography Tips

It is true when they say, we purchase with our
eyes, meaning only if we like it, we get it. Often this decision-making process
– whether to buy a product or not – solely depends on if the product is
visually appealing.

No wonder nailing your product images should be
your top priority! Product pictures serve a key purpose – to grab a buyer’s
attention while searching for your product.

Your listing should try to invoke affirmative
emotions, and if you manage to get this done, there are higher chances of
converting those shoppers into customers.

Your product can speak a lot about your brand,
and the kind of buyer you are marketing it to is a sign of the price of your
product.

When it comes to Amazon product photography,
sellers are frequently overwhelmed with that list of priorities. It all starts
by spending hours to take multiple shots of the product in different angles
just to get that ideal shot.

And that’s not over yet. Further, you have to
spend hours in picking and editing the best photos, with an intention to
accomplish a consistent feel in every product photo.

So, how could you cut the lengthiest portion, and
then, streamline the entire product photography process?

Sounds interesting?

Well, that’s exactly what the idea of this guide
is. It is all about how you come up with fantastic photos of your product and
yet keep the process simplified.

For sellers who do not have a knack for
photography, it is probably wise to hire an amazon product photography service
or a company to get the job done perfectly for you.

On the other hand, sellers who prefer taking this
task in their own hands, there are a few important tips to remember in order to
achieve attractive and professional product photography.

1. Begin
with a consistent plan

Now, if you are selling just one product on Amazon, it is pretty easy. However, if you have a whole catalogue of items that you sell at the Amazon Marketplace, it will take some time.

You can start with branding. Plan on how your
product pictures should look and how they can relate with your online presence.
Be it logo, settings, or color scheme. Since potential shoppers are navigating
to your listing, no photo should appear as if it belongs to some other website.
You have to keep them consistent.

2. The
magic of white background

Not only Amazon but most ecommerce websites have
their items displayed on a plain, white background. Ever wondered why?

Well, this is because of three simple reasons:

It minimizes
unwanted distractions

It makes the
product the center of attraction

It creates a
consistent feel

From an aesthetic perspective, plain, white
background gives a more professional, and much cleaner finish. It also helps
colorful products pop up.

Using a photography shooting tent or curved
backdrop helps in eliminating the shadows, and cancels the sharp angles that might
leave a picture look a little harsh.

There is most definitely a dispute for in-context
product photography. While some products look the best in natural environment,
others might not.

If you are unsure what option can drive in more
sales, it is best to experiment to see what is the effective option.

3. Set the
right lighting

If you have been taking selfies, you would know how the right “lighting” can change everything. This also applies while take products. The right light setting can transform even the dullest-looking product to its best form. This, in turn, also helps in converting sales.

Most items look better when shot in a natural
light, preferably a soft setting that is distributed evenly across the product.
While this may not be an option always, you can try using an artificial
lighting with the help of umbrellas/reflectors or DIY light-box. This is to
check what option gives the perfect results.

4. Keep the
image resolution high

When you click photos of your product, make sure
that they are taken using a good camera with a high-resolution lens. Every
photo that you upload must be of incredible quality and never be blurry.

Every image must convey product details upon
viewing. On the other hand, the lighting at the time of shooting the product
should neither be too dull nor too bright. Keep it mediocre, as it enables the
buyers in making a proper make buying decision.

5. Pay
attention to the product size

This is something every seller must pay attention
to – the product’s size. It shouldn’t be shot in a way that it looks too small
or too big.

If you click the product in a way that its size
appears very small, you will observe a plenty of white space surrounding it and
chances are that a few important details might be missed out.

On the other hand, if you click it in a way that
the product’s size appears very big, then a few of its features might be out of
focus.

These problems will eventually lead to poor
shopping experience and can affect your ratings as well. Hence, it is important
to remember the amazon image aspect ratio guidelines before planning to shoot.

6. Show
different angles of the product

It is always good to have a few photos of your
product than just one or two. This is because that people whom you are selling
it to might not have experienced the product physically yet. They have no idea
what your product looks like or feels like. Therefore, it is vital to give them
an ample of pictures shot in different angles.

Talking about Amazon, the first image, which is shown on the product & search page is known as “main image.” Keep in mind that this so-called main image always displays the product’s front view. Therefore, showing the product’s back view doesn’t make sense.

However, the rest pf the photos must cover the
product’s every possible angle to help a buyer understand how the product will
actually be when they receive it.

7. Use a
tripod or a steady surface

You shouldn’t make your potential buyers suddenly
think that they need glasses to view your product. Instead, eliminate the
chances of camera shakes. This can be best avoided by using a quality tripod or
perhaps, anything that has a steady surface – it could be even a box or a book
for that matter.

Your product will look crisp and sharp, just the
way you want it to be.

8. Avoid
placing additional items with the product

When it comes to online selling, maintaining “transparency” with your buyers is one of the key aspects. Photographing additional items along with the product might confuse the shopper and might cause disappointments when they don’t get those accessories they had seen while purchasing.

Hence, it is important to show only what you are
selling it to the customers and not anything that they will not get at the time
of delivery.

9. Do Not
Put Immodest Content

As far as amazon’s reputation is considered, it
is one of the best when compared to other platforms. It paves the way of
selling to different customers across the globe. Hence, the sensibilities of
every buyer should be considered prior uploading any product image.

It is important to focus on your product rather than the mannequins or models while shooting, especially intimate apparels. Also, uploading indecent images isn’t allowed. It will only cause rejections from Amazon.

How
To Take Product Pictures For Amazon?

When it comes to ecommerce, every product photo is a deal clincher. Hence, if that look and feel is missing, you will be losing out on sales.

The experience that a customer gets when he or
she is in a physical store is something that you cannot bring in the virtual
world. But you can certainly high quality pictures of the product. In fact,
this playa an equivalent role.

The only way to accomplish this by hiring a
professional photographer. However, if you are tight on your budget, then
renting a studio or hiring a professional photography can turn out to be
expensive.

The best thing is that you can even do this at home. Although you can employ a light box for shooting small products, the tips given below focuses on taking photography with a natural light. This technique is called “Window Lighting Technique.”

Now, you will be fascinated at how effortlessly
you could turn your spare bedroom, garage, or living room into your photography
studio and how you can consistently shoot quality images of your product.

Once you identify a spot to shoot, start
equipping it. Even you know that the list of equipment used by professional
photographers is long. However, you do not need too much tools.

At home, just make sure that you have the
following things:

1. A good camera

These days, a majority of the people have a good
camera. However, if you don’t, purchase it from a reputed brand that has manual
exposure settings besides the auto functions.

To create those fantastic pictures, you not
necessarily need a costly camera. Note that a camera is not “the” but “one of
the” factors that affect your final outcome. The other factors include product
styling, studio setup, right amount of lighting, and post-production practices.

2. A nice tripod

Tripod is essentially one of the important
equipment you need to invest on because it helps in stabilizing your camera at
the time of shooting. Since you are setting up a studio-like-feel at your home,
you should take shots at a spot where the lighting isn’t optimal.

This is because low lighting requires longer camera exposure, which in turn, increases the possibilities of camera shakes when you breathe. When using a tripod, ensure that your photos aren’t hazy or blurred due to camera shakes.

3. A memory card

So, the next thing that is crucial for product
photography is certainly the the SD card. Your memory card lets you store all
your photos and further, transfer them to a laptop from your camera for
post-production works and archiving.

These are inexpensive and hence, it is good to
keep a few handy.

4. A white paper roll

Since amazon’s photo requirements calls for a “white background,” it is important to invest in a quality white paper roll. This gives a smooth background for all your photos and minimizes the post production tasks.

So, a roll of 10 – 15 feet is necessary because
you will need the long, white sheet positioned behind the product. This gives a
seamless background. Make sure that the roll’s width is about 50 inches in
order to accommodate or cover the majority of the product.

5. White foam boards

A white foam board comes in handy. It helps in reflecting and increasing the available light. Buy a few of them and utilize them in order to reflect light to the product from the window.

Doing this will also help in reducing the product’s
shadow and provides that “fill light” aspect for a complete, clean, even look.

6. A folding table

A good folding table helps you in laying the
white paper roll as the paper background while prepping for the product shoot.
This table can have a normal height to help you adjust the tripod’s height and
shoot from the angle and height you want from.

7. Clamps & Duct Tape

Besides the above things listed, you will also need
a few clamps and duct tape rolls in order to secure the white background roll
on to the table and walls where you place your product. This prevents the
product from moving at the time of shoot.

You can even use clamps if possible to make it
easy. It becomes convenient to clean after the shoot.

8. Window with enough natural light

Lastly, your window is the best light source.
However, you require access to big windows close to the shoot spot. All you
need is to clear the area around the windows to have adequate place to keep
your background, table, and move around at the time of shooting.

Keep in mind, larger windows give a better shot,
as they emit higher natural light and help the product to be shot more evenly.
On the other hand, light from small windows can be a little directional.

If your product size is small, you can manage it
with the help of small windows. However, a big product definitely needs a
larger light source.

All things
ready? So, what to do next?

If you have all the equipment ready, the next
step is start setting them up. Follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Keep the table close to the window.

Step 2: Spread the plain, white paper roll from the table’s bottom, stretching all the way to the wall, creating a smooth curve.

Step 3: Secure the paper roll with the wall and table using the duct tape or clamps.

Step 4: Keep the foam core board in an angle that the natural light from your windows reflect on the product.

Step 5: Use the tripod and set it to a proper height.

Step 6: Fix the camera on the tripod.

Step 7: Start taking photos and experiment at different angles to see what gives the best results.

Amazon
Product Image Requirements

The product image that you submit to Amazon
should meet the technical specifications mentioned below:

The image file
should be in any of these formats: TIFF
(.tiff or .tif), GIF (.gif), PNG (.png), or JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg).

The image dimension
of every image should be at least 1000
pixels or larger in either width or height preferred.

The color mode of
the image should be either in CMYK or
RGB.

Every file name
should contain the product’s identifier (13-digit ISBN, Amazon ASIN, JAN, UPC, or EAN) followed by a period and the file extension (e.g. C000163789.jpeg
or 455678967845.tif).

Note: Using special
characters like dashes, spaces, or any other character in the filename prevents
the image from being published online.

For images that are named by the product
identifier without any variant code or perhaps, named with MAIN variant, Amazon
has a few image standards, which include:

For Main
Image:

Any kind of
illustration or drawing for the product is not allowed.

The image should be
the product’s professional photo or cover art that is being sold.

The image should
not contain confusing or gratuitous additional objects.

Every image should
be professionally lit, scanned/photographed, and be shot in proper focus with
smooth edges and realistic color.

The images of
music, DVD/video, and books must be as the front cover, and should occupy 100%
of the image’s frame.

Promotional
stickers, cellophane, and jewel cases aren’t permitted.

All the other
products must occupy 85+% of the image’s frame.

Note that the
entire product should be in the frame.

The background
should be completely white (or RGB: 255,255,255).

No image should
have additional graphics, inset images, or text.

Offensive or
pornographic material is not allowed.

For
Additional Images (apart from the main image):

Every image should
pertain to or be of, the product that is being sold.

Every image should
be professionally lit, scanned/photographed, and be shot in proper focus with
smooth edges and realistic color.

Other objects or
products are permitted only to help express the way how your product can be
used.

Backgrounds and
other environments can be used for 1-2 images.

The props and
product together must occupy 85+% of the image frame.

Any image that is
in close-up or cropped state, will not be allowed.

Demonstrative
graphics or text are allowed.

Offensive or
pornographic material is not allowed.

Before submitting your product photos, ensure that the following specifications are met:

Photo Requirements

Listing Single Item

Book The Loader Feeds

Maximum size of the image file

10 MB

10 MB

Permitted file formats

GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF

GIF, JPEG

Resolution of the image

72 pixels in an inch

72 pixels in an inch

The minimum dimension of the image

200 x 200 pixels

While one side of the image should be 200 pixels (minimum), the other side can be less.

The maximum dimension of the image

2000 x 2000 pixels

10,000 x 10,000 pixels

Note: Every photo
submitted to the Seller Central will be modified to 500 x 500 pixels regardless
of the photo’s dimension and size provided. A photo that doesn’t have a
dimension ratio of 1:1 is padded with some white space at the shorter sides.

How
To Add Photos To Amazon Product Listing?

There are two ways to ways to add a product to
your product listing.

Method 1:

With this option, you can add the products using a “product tool.”

Method 2:

If you want to change or add any images that you have uploaded, use the “Manage Inventory Tool.”

Go to the tab named inventory.

On the right
corner, there will be an option called Edit.

Open the seller’s
backend screen called Edit Product Info.

You will be
redirected to the offer screen.

Click the tab named
– images.

Click on the Choose file button.

Select the
respective image file that you want
to upload.

Repeat the same for every image slot.

Click the button save & finish at the bottom.

Amazon
Image Aspect Ratio

As far as we have researched on the Amazon
website, there weren’t any mentions about the technical requirements of the
aspect ratio, or how much pixels should the longest side have in order to
enable the zoom-in feature. It only said that it can be either height or width,
whichever is preferred.

However, when we went through a few forum answers
and checked one of the help pages of Amazon
Seller Central, we found
about the aspect ratio. Here are the details:

Image Requirement

Aspect Ratio

Preferable

Dimension Ratio
(maximum)

5 – 1

1:1 or 2:1 is
preferred

Amazon
Product Image Optimization

Besides clicking high quality photos of the
product, it is important to keep them optimized as well. Amazon incorporates
CTR (Click Through Rates) as well as CR (Conversion Rates) in their algorithm.

Only if your product is frequently clicked and
purchased by the buyers, Amazon’s A9 algorithm lifts the product’s position
higher in their organic search results.

Now, this means that both your CR and CTR have a
direct impact on the product’s ranking. However, it is vital to understand that
just quality images won’t guarantee for higher rankings.

This is where “Optimization” comes in.

Keep the following factors in mind in order to
have an optimized image:

Use all the images
on your product listing

Keep the image
quality high

Images must be 1000
x 1000 pixels minimum

1. Use all the image space allotted for your listing

So, this is something everyone is doing it and
seems obvious. But there are even listings that don’t include much pictures of
the product. It is either 2 or 3.

This is an opportunity to enhance conversions.
The photo gallery shows your product’s value or worth to the shoppers.

Therefore, include as many images as possible in
the available slots (amazon gives you 9 slots). Try to include the product
pictures shot in various angles, show its details, close-up views, and how it
is used.

Amazon ranks the products that has higher number
of images. However, your main image must be with front view without packaging.
Keep the shot clearer and bigger to help the customer get an idea what he or
she is going to receive after making a purchase.

On the other hand, with the secondary images, it
is permissible to display photos that add value or aid the buyers in their
buying process. Product’s intended use and action shots make a great addition
here.

Infographics are yet other incredible way to utilize
that extra image spot. But ensure that they are 100 percent about the product
and its quality is outstanding.

2. Keep the image quality high

The reason we are stressing to keep the image
quality high again and again is because it is vital to increase conversions and
is required to let amazon zoom-in your pictures.

Ensure that every image is attractive. Your main
image must be on white background and should occupy 85% of the image frame. On
the other hand, secondary photos are okay to be with backgrounds and action
shots (how to use your product).

3. Images must be 1000 x 1000 pixels minimum

Make sure that your main image is capable of
zooming, and you will give people better reasons to learn about your product.

As said earlier, the preferred file format is .jpg. However, .gif and .png can also be used. In addition, digital graphics that look like your product – 3D rendering with your label are accepted. Once uploaded, make sure to see how your photos look on your listing page.

Customer success leader with expertise in coordinating between cross-functional teams in product development and strategy, professional services, sales, marketing and content to deliver excellent customer experience and accelerate growth within the company by ensuring clients’ success.